Oregon coach Kelly coveted by Browns, others

Related Media

CLEVELAND - Win or lose, once Chip Kelly finishes coaching Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl and walks off the field and likely toward a job in the NFL, the Browns will be waiting to court him. They won't be alone. The Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills are also interested in signing Kelly, the Ducks coach and offensive mastermind whose break-neck, stop-us-if-you-can system is already being copied in the pro game. There could be others courting the 49-year-old Kelly, but the Browns, Eagles and Bills seem to be the leaders to land him. It's not yet clear who will get the first crack at Kelly, who has spent the past few days in advance of Thursday night's game against Kansas State deflecting questions about his future. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner have spent the past few days in Arizona, where they have already conducted at least two known interviews in preparation of their meeting with Kelly. On Tuesday, the Browns interviewed Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton, who described his meeting with the team as "fantastic." On Wednesday, the Browns' brass met with former Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, fired earlier this week after six seasons with the club. Whisenhunt was a special teams coach in Cleveland under Chris Palmer in 1999, the Browns' first season back in the league as an expansion franchise.